DeKalb County

Neighbor says man killed in mysterious explosion seemed like a 'very nice guy'

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Neighbors are giving new insight into a man killed in a mysterious explosion.

The FBI said James Douglas Lark detonated an explosive device at an apartment complex on Redan Road in DeKalb County -- but he lives on Paul Avenue in northwest Atlanta.

Channel 2's Christian Jennings went to Lark's home, where she talked to his neighbor, Ben Hardee Bey, who said Lark seemed to be a nice guy.

“He’s nice guy, very nice guy. Would have never thought anything suspicious about him,” Bey said.

Early Sunday morning in the Redan Cove apartment complex, the FBI said Lark had an explosive device that went off and killed him.

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The FBI confirmed that it searched Lark's home on Wednesday.

“What is he doing with a bomb? Was he mad at somebody?” Bey said. “Maybe he wasn’t trying to hurt nobody. I don’t know.”

An FBI spokesperson told Channel 2 Action News that at this point, they have no indication that this was terrorism.

“You never know what’s going on around you,” Bey said.

Neighbors said they noticed law enforcement officers staking out the house for a few days before they actually performed the raid.